The present invention relates to an occupant restraint apparatus that restrains an occupant sitting in a seat of a vehicle with an inflatable belt.
As an example of an occupant restraint apparatus that restrains an occupant sitting in a seat of a vehicle with an inflatable belt, an occupant restraint apparatus including a shoulder anchor disposed behind a seat in a front-rear direction of a vehicle and an occupant restraint belt extending through the shoulder anchor and fastened on the front side of an occupant is known in the art such as, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-312439 (“JP Pub. No. '439”) (which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety). In this occupant restraint apparatus, at least a portion of the occupant restraint belt that is positioned adjacent to the occupant's head is inflatable.
In the occupant restraint apparatus (air belt apparatus) according to JP Pub. No. '439, the shoulder anchor is attached to an upper section of a pillar positioned diagonally behind the seat of the vehicle. The occupant restraint belt extends through this shoulder anchor and is fastened on the front side of the occupant sitting in the seat.
This occupant restraint belt includes a shoulder belt section and a lap belt section. The shoulder belt section passes by the occupant's head and extends diagonally along the front side of the occupant's upper body from the shoulder anchor to a position near the occupant's waist on a side opposite to the shoulder anchor. The lap belt section extends in the right-left direction of the vehicle so as to cover the occupant's abdomen. In the above-described publication, the shoulder belt section includes an inflatable bag-shaped belt. The bag-shaped belt is disposed such that a top end portion thereof is adjacent to the occupant's head. According to the above-described publication, the lap belt section also includes an inflatable bag-like belt.
When the vehicle collides or rolls over or the like, the shoulder belt section and the lap belt section are inflated to restrain the occupant. At this time, the top end portion of the shoulder belt section is inflated in a region adjacent to the occupant's head, that is, in a space between the occupant's head and a side surface of the vehicle cabin. Accordingly, the occupant's head is prevented from colliding directly with the side surface or the like of the vehicle cabin.